True Justice: Gantt beats Helms in 1990!

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Bump?

[Mechaman]

Bump?

Someday, probably not soon though......

[Mechaman]

Well I guess I should also make a statement on this one:

Once I get out of school for winter break I would say expect a few updates for this TL.  Hell I might even finally elect a president.
This TL has been a very interesting work and I just have had lots of fun thinking of ways how the electoral college system can screw over the American people.
Needless to say I intend to keep on finding out ways to do so.

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

Well I guess I should also make a statement on this one:

Once I get out of school for winter break I would say expect a few updates for this TL.  Hell I might even finally elect a president.
This TL has been a very interesting work and I just have had lots of fun thinking of ways how the electoral college system can screw over the American people.
Needless to say I intend to keep on finding out ways to do so.

Mechaman: Screwing over the American people since 2009.

I will eagerly await the next update.

[Mechaman]

I Don't believe it, Mechaman finally updated this crap!:

February 26th, 1993
World Trade Center
12:17:45 PM:

A special forces envoy enters the underground garage of the World Trade Center carrying a very important passenger, former President George HW Bush.  The driver steps out of the car and looks around the garage.  He holds his hand to his ear piece.
Driver: All clear down here sir.
Bush gets out of the backseat of the black SUV and then smells the air.
Bush: I just love the smell, the smell of urbanity.  Don't you John?
John: Why yes sir I do-





CNN Breaking News:
America is under attack!  Everybody in the New York City area is advised to seek shelter immediately.  There has been a bombing at the World Trade Center Towers!  A bomb went off in the underground garage.  President Bush was set to attend a special commemoration ceremony this afternoon for the towers.  No word as of yet if the convoy made it there or if they are still alive.  There is no word for certain if there are suvivo-HOLY SHIT!!  OH MY GOD!!!  THE TOWER ONE IS FALLING OVER!! TOWER ONE IS FALLING OVER!!!!  OH MY GOD IT'S HEADED RIGHT TOWARDS ME!!!!  KATHY, SWEETHEART, I LOVE YOU.
(loud explosion)

Transmission dies.

[Mechaman]

Yes, more is coming.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Awesome! (though I'll have to read the last few pages; I read up to around the point where Gnatt becomes Acting President)

Hopefully a precursor to other forgotten timelines.

[Mechaman]

Warning: graphic details:

I wake up in a darkened place.......

as pain, unbearable pain spikes in my back.  I try to lift myself off the ground, but an impossibly heavy weight bounds itself on my back.  I look up, see the emergency lights flashing.  I remember hearing a loud noise, and seeing a bright light and then.....nothing.  I had just got off on my lunch break, was about to go when suddenly a light, an impossibly bright light flashed across the horizons of the garage subduing everything within vision.  I can't move, I can't even move my goddamn legs.
Then I spot a railing and I pull myself up.  The pain is tremendous, my muscles and bones are dead, but I pull myself up after what seemed like an eternity of pain and unbearable agony.  I put my weight on my arms as I slide across the railing until I reach a passageway.....THE STAIRS!!!  But they were no longer there.  I pull out my cigarette lighter into the passageway, I move my arm up and down as I pan the stairways that are suddenly not there.  As I observe the scene my heart beat races faster than Ponzi schemers fleeing Manhattan aboard a Boeing Jet.  It was then that the full weight of the situation fell upon me, like some a damn vulture in the Serengeti snapping up it's prey between it's razor sharp claws.
It was a goddamned bomb.  We had been bombed, nuked, flattened like a stack of pancakes.  Some son of a bitch, probably down here, decided that it was time to unleash his version of hell upon the rest of the world.....or at least the bastards who were unlucky enough to be down in this shithole garage.  And I was stuck down here......all alone.  Trapped beneath the rubble.  Hopefully somebody will be down here soon and get me the hell out of here.
And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse the whole fucking building comes crashing down over my head........

[Mechaman]

Five Minutes Later
The White House:

Harvey Gantt, after witnessing the events fold out on television, boards a helicopter headed for New York City.  His advisor Carl catches up with him.
Carl: Sir.......what are you doing?
Gantt looks at the man with human eyes and responds:
Gantt: What I must do.
Two Hours later Gantt arrives at LaGuardia and then makes his way to Central Park.  The onlookers, suddenly noticing Gantt, turn around as Gantt takes center stage.  He looks at the crowd of people, fear in their eyes, and addresses them calmly:
My fellow Americans, there is no doubt that today has been one of the most tragic days in American history.  Many of your fellow countrymen lay beneath those ruins at the World Trade Center.  As your acting President, however unofficial that title may be, I made a solemn oath to defend the honor and principle of our nations and it's people.  Whoever did this will be brought to justice, even if we have to go to the ends of the Earth to find them.  But that isn't what's more important now, what is most important now is that every American knows that it's government, though flawed, will be here to take care of those whose families have lost loved ones in this tragedy.  I promise with every bone in my body I won't leave here until every survivor is pulled out of these ruins.

Acting President Gantt's speech would meet almost unanimous approval from the American people in a time of crisis.  For the moment, in the wake of tragedy issues like the 1992 Presidential Election would be put on the backburner..........put to sleep until another day.

[Mechaman]

CNN Breaking News
6:30 PM Eastern Standard Time:

After hours of searching rescue teams have found the remains of President Bush's secret service convoy.  The convoy was in the underground garage when the explosion occurred, there were no survivors.  The Bush family has been notified and are making the necessary arrangements. (chokes up tear)  The late former President had a controversial year, coming under fire from members of his own party for increasing taxes despite his "no new tax" pledge and then facing a heated primary fight with Patrick Buchanan before participating in the 1992 Presidential Election.  The President, facing massive unpopularity compared to the enigmatic Perot/Wilson and Cuomo/Gantt tickets, would end up losing both the popular vote and electoral vote to the other two candidates.  The election would to this day is still undecided as the US House won't come to a consensus to elect.  So it is here today, in the wake of most recent and terrible news that this nation shall mourn the late President of the United States.




George Herbert Walker Bush
June 24th, 1924-February 26th, 1993
Loving Husband, Father, and Best Friend
Late President of the United States of America


Edit: Edited the post after I realized that I can't have too many screwed up TLs.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

RIP Bush. I wonder how it will affect the Republican nominee for the House of Representatives election (weirdly worded, I know).

[Mechaman]

RIP Bush. I wonder how it will affect the Republican nominee for the House of Representatives election (weirdly worded, I know).

Hey I am the master of "weirdly worded" so don't fret.
But yeah, pretty crazy huh?

[Mechaman]

Republican Headquarters:

White House Chief of Staff James Baker, Senator William Cohen of Maine, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell:

Powell: Well gentlemen......what now?
Baker: This has never happened before.  Actually it has happened with Horace Greeley, but he lost the election handedly.  This election hasn't been decided yet.
Cohen: Well with George dead, do we even still have a nominee?
Powell: Yes we might.  To bring us back to 1872 with Greeley once be passed away the electors for the Liberal Republican/Democratic ticket appointed replacement candidates to receive the votes that Greeley received.
Baker: So let me get this straight: our Republican electors can appoint a replacement candidate?
Powell: Well it isn't that easy James.  After all, different Republican electors can elect different Republican candidates.  Which brings me to the second part of this.
Cohen: Finding a candidate which with all, or at least a vast majority of Republican electors, can agree with.
Powell: Exactly!  The biggest problem we have now is that moderates and independent minded Democrats and Republicans seem to favor Perot.  Not to mention that in the US House we only have nine states where Republicans are in the majority.  We might be able to swing some southern and maybe even western Democrats, who disagree with the liberalism of Cuomo, to vote for the Republican ticket, but I doubt we'd be able to get enough states to shift to get us the victory.
Baker: Are you suggesting we give up?
Powell: The people have spoken James.  Frankly, this previous administration failed.  Maybe it's about time we bowed out and let the people's voice be authoritative.
Cohen: I think he may be right James.  We had 12 years in the House, that's quite a run.  Not to mention that we made some gains in the House this year.  If we leave now and let the Democrats or Perot have the House we might be able to make a comeback in 1994.
Baker: That's crazy talk!  We can still win this!
Powell: Sometimes, losing is better than winning.  We already made congressional gains this year, we can make even more in 1994.
Baker: Well fine, if you guys want to quit then go ahead!  Meanwhile I, and others, will try to win this thing for Papa Bush.
Powell: It's your funeral James.  The people are PO'd enough as it is at the GOP, what will four more years do to lift their spirits?  No matter what we do, we could probably even cure cancer, they will see whoever is the GOP nominee as "the guy who stole the election".  That will look bad on all of us, even us top level Executive bunch.  Good night James, I'm going to get a long night's worth of sleep that I haven't had in five years.

[Mechaman]

"In the beginning there was the Compromise"

Republican House Leader Robert Michel: So it should be said about the nature of this republic.  Recent events, very tragic events, have got me and my fellow Republicans in leadership into thinking about the recent electoral crisis at hand in this country.  The voices have been heard from around the nation.  Voices demanding certain and strong leadership in these trying times.  No longer shall we stall the election for our own petty agendas.  It is clear that now more than ever the nation needs a strong and independent executive.  Thus, me and our Senate Caucus head Robert Dole have decided to concede the Republican interest in the election and thus back the independent candidacy of Ross Perot of Texas.  It is my sincere hope that our fellow partymates will take this time to put petty partisanship aside in the interest of bringing peace back to our fragile political environment.  We would also hope that our Democratic colleagues, sensing the advantages of a truly non-partisan government in these trying times, would also back the esteemed Mr. Perot in this election.  After all, they already have in place a very qualified and proven Vice President who has gone above and beyond the call of duty.
To all of you gathered today, and for the millions of Americans sitting at home, we offer our hopes that democracy can be fully restored and that the nation can come back to addressing the troubles that affect the millions in this nation.

-Address to Associated Press associates on March 3rd, 1993.

NOTE: Should put in some images later.  Also, it's good to be back, hopefully.

[Mechaman]

The Stalwart:



However, not all was peaceful in the Republican Party as not a day later the former Vice President Dan Quayle would come out in opposition to the Republican Congressional leadership on the 1992 Presidential Election.  Quayle, flanked by a number of conservative Republican congressmen and activists would make a rousing speech in Indianapolis blasting House Leader Michel and the "corrupt establishment" for caving to the "pseudoindependent campaign" of Ross Perot:

"The so-called "leaders" of this party want to tell you, the Representatives and Senators of this Grand Old Party, that you would be standing up for the betterment of this nation.  Well I believe that could be farther from the truth.  This latest announcement by our party's House Leader isn't a sign of strength but rather of weakness.  A President Perot wouldn't be an independent President, he would be a Democrat in all but name.  He will raise your taxes.  He will ban your guns.  He will regulate your property for the sake of environmentalist radicals.  These are not middle of the road propositions, but rather the views of a liberal billionaire egoist who runs only as an independent so he can appear appealing to the traditional values voters of Middle America.  Don't be fooled by him and certainly don't be fooled by the party establishment, who has a long record of caving into the liberal Democratic agenda whenever the times get tough.
Which is why, to defend the conservative ideals of the Reagan Revolution and to defend the honor of the late and great George Herbert Walker Bush, I am declaring my candidacy for the President.  I hereby encourage all Republicans and disillusioned Democrats to support my candidacy to restore America's values that have been challenged these past couple of years.

Reaction to Quayle's announcement was met with wide derision by many Democrats and Republicans.  However, he struck a chord with a large number of people who were sure to write their congressmen in the coming weeks.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Hmmm... Perot or Quayle? Both would certainly make for interesting presidencies in vastly different ways. It's probably best for Perot to win now but see Quayle come back in '96. Nevertheless, I hope to see both of these battle it out in the future. Really glad to see this is back!

[Mechaman]

House of Representatives
March 6th, 1993:

YOu have heard the case made by my advocates in this House for my election.  It is quite clear that I, Ross Perot, having both the plurality of the popular vote and that of the Electoral College, have been vindicated by the voters as the next President of these United States.  It has become clear these past few months that the system as envisioned several hundred years ago isn't one that is pertinent to the needs of today.  That it is too beneficial to a party duopoly that has proven to be removed from the causes of the average citizen in this country.  Americans desire in their executive a levelheaded individual open to new ideas and finding solutions that work, none of this ideological playbook business.
Indeed, it is hardest for me, being a nonpartisan, to hope to win over your support.  However, know that I have the mandate of the people behind me.  I have the mandate of the College behind me.  I have ever possible bastion of support that is needed to be given safe and secure election that no one else does.  To continue to back petty partisan preferences is to ignore the will of the people, to cast a vote against democracy.  Which is why I am here to beg to you today for the assured vote of your state to the highest office in this land.
Or, you can hold onto the differences and continue a never ending conflict upon the American people.  Open minded Democrats and Republicans, now is the time for you to put aside your differences.  If you can't agree on Cuomo or Quayle, it is time to unite behind a candidate who doesn't benefit from your petty partisan politics.  That candidate is me.

Ross Perot would finish his speech before a silent House of Representatives.  And then suddenly a wave of applause would erupt.
It had seemed his time had come.

[Mechaman]

The Climatic Vote:

Up to early March the House of Representatives had been deadlocked in the process of electing a President.  With the decision solely in the hands of the House, it had seemed to be a waiting game between the Democratic and Republican tickets.  However, a tragic event would eliminate the Republican standard bearer, former President George HW Bush, which would then open a window of opportunity for previously disadvantaged Ross Perot.  With the death of Bush, the GOP leadership was in an awkward position with no nominee on the head ticket.  Dan Quayle, the conservative firebrand who was the Bush's VP, stepped up to the plate and positioned himself as the new representative of the GOP.
Many of the party leadership, however, found themselves at odds with Quayle.  For one, Quayle had parlayed a very divisive image to the American public.  A number of former Bush cabinet officials felt that Quayle wasn't lacking the pragmatic nature for the presidency, but that he was incompetent for it.  As a result, the party leadership decided to make an unprecedented move of backing the independent candidacy of Ross Perot of Texas.  As a result, Ross Perot found himself more or less becoming the de facto Republican nominee.
The momentum was more than enough to take Perot over the finish line.  Quayle, irate at the support given to Perot by the establishment, ran a counter campaign on his own, charging that the establishment were "sellouts" and that true Republican representatives should vote him in.  He also targeted Democratic conservative congressmen, especially in the South, to support his candidacy against the "anti-traditionalist" campaigns of Perot and Cuomo.  Meanwhile, Perot, who had already wrapped up a good deal of northern Republican support, started to make appeals to many Midwestern and Rust Belt congressmen on appeals of trade protectionism to protect American industries, a position that Cuomo was lacking in.
In the end, it was a wash:

And so it was, for the first time since Washington, an independent had been elected President.